1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle lights and in particular to a submersible light for boat trailers and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicles and other devices are equipped with a wide variety of lights for illumination, signaling, safety and other purposes. For example, lights are commonly provided on vehicles for illuminating their paths of travel and for alerting other drivers to their positions and courses.
Trailers comprise a class of vehicles which are subject to specific lighting requirements for operation on public streets and highways. Such requirements are often met by mounting discrete, self-contained lights on the trailer frames. Certain types of trailers, such as boat trailers and flat bed trailers, have exposed frames which are well suited for mounting discrete, self-contained lights. Installing self-contained trailer lights can simplify trailer construction, particularly as compared to more complicated procedures in which light assemblies are integrated into vehicle bodies. This latter type of procedure is commonly used in the manufacture of passenger vehicles.
Weatherability is an important design requirement for lights that are exposed to the elements, such as those mounted on vehicles. A further design requirement for boat trailer lights is that they be submersible. In operation, boat trailers are typically subjected to at least partial submersion when boats are launched and retrieved. A common procedure for boat launching and retrieval involves backing the boat and trailer down a boat ramp until the boat trailer is submerged and the boat can be floated off of it. Tail lights on boat trailers can thus be subjected to repeated emersion.
Various solutions have been proposed to provide submergibility in vehicle lights, particularly trailer lights. For example, the Cunningham et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,617 discloses a submersible taillight assembly for a boat trailer. Water is excluded from entering this light assembly when submerged by air entrapped within a capsule light assembly housing. The Payne et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,894 discloses a boat trailer light assembly with an integral bulb fixture molded to an external housing. The internal enclosure forms a watertight compartment in which the bulb is mounted. A gasket is provided for sealing the enclosure.
Heretofore there has not been available a submersible light for trailers and the like with the advantages and features of the present invention.